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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

My Favorite Midge

Midge flies are my favorite to tie and fish... photographing them is another story. Below you will find a few photos and tying tips for these micro bugs.

Adult Cream Midge #24

Adult Black Midge #22 with #22 Basic Midge Adult

Adult Black Midge #22 with #22 KF Emerger

As winter quickly approaches and hatches fade away do not forget about the midge! If you are lucky enough to live near a spring creek or healthy tailwater you may be able to fish these little bugs all year around.

When tying midge flies I can't emphasize enough how important it is to keep the body slim and the rest of the materials sparse. Buy the smallest thread diameter you can tie with and not break, and then go a size smaller, and learn how to tie with that. Make every wrap count, and if you find yourself building up the body too much, start over. Notice the last photo above and the body size difference... my flies even need a little slimming down!

Whatever you do, don't be afraid of these little flies. You CAN learn to tie them (and tie them on your tippet), and with a little practice you will find they are even easier to tie then the big dry flies. Best of all big fish enjoy feasting on these bugs, and with practice the hooks will hold them on.

Big flies scare me! I live on midges! 20's and 22's. It is for sure a challenge to keep this tiny enough though. I'm just always amazed by the size fish that would take 22, 24 and on. What do you find is the smallest thread you are able to find?

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Freelance photographer, writer, film maker, and fly tier living in Northern California.
If you are interested in any of my work feel free to email me at lcarrollphoto@gmail.com.
Please do not use any of my images without my written permission.